The Persistent And Incorrect Belief That Atheism Is A
Religion
Wednesday, October 5th, 2011
I wrote an article a while back that
debunks the myth that Atheism is a religion. The topic has
come up frequently as of late, especially in light of some of my
more recent writing, and it was one of the topics of discussion on
the October 4th edition of Pennsylvania State Director Ernest
Perce’s television show “Atheist Perspectives,” which I guest host
from time to time. Over the past several weeks I have
received numerous requests to “reprint” it here on the No God Blog,
so without further adieu…
It is suggested by
many people that atheism is a religion. Before we can examine
why atheism is sometimes defined as a belief, it is important to
understand who defines it as such. Rarely, if ever, will you
find another atheist, agnostic, freethinker, humanist, secularist,
etc., putting the definition of religion in the context of
atheism. Almost without exception, it is the religious who do
so. The reason is simple. The religious are are so
caught up in their own beliefs that imagining another
person without having any religious beliefs is largely
incomprehensible. Those who claim that atheism is a religion
do not only lack a clear understanding
of what atheism is, they also tend to use religious
terms to describe atheism.
There exists
only one definition of atheism, and that is simply the lack of a
belief in a deity. There is a philosophical aspect to
atheism, but it is not part of the definition, but an extension of
the individual. Atheism, in of itself, cannot be described as
religious because it takes mental gymnastics to attach
the narrative,
experiential, social, ethical, doctrinal, ritual and
material aspects of religion to atheism because it is not
a structured system with defined rules. It has
no uniform beliefs and is not a means of understanding our
existence.
With respect to
the philosophical, atheism is not a philosophy. Unbelief in Santa
Claus is not a philosophy and thus unbelief in deity is
not. There does exist within the individual atheist a
philosophy that is an extension of
their atheism. The philosophical aspects of
atheism are germane only to the individual. They do not
surround their lack of belief, but are an extension of their
experiences that have been affected by their unbelief. Whereas
religion is a shared experience that is directly dependent
on and pertinent to specific dogma, doctrine and
superstitions, the atheist experience is dependent on nothing and
pertinent only to the effect that unbelief has on how the atheist
can effectively integrate in a religious society.
Thus, any
comparisons that put atheism in the same context of religion
are dishonest dialogue. Atheism includes
nothing even remotely similar to the religious. Atheists can
and do adopt a wide variety of points of view that can include
anything except the belief in gods and still fit the
definition of atheism. Even those who are
outspoken, widely read and well known cannot be intelligently
compared to religious leaders, and
atheist organizations cannot be compared to religious
congregations. There exists none of the aspects that command
such designations.
Inasmuch as the
religious have a propensity to change the definition of words to
suit their propaganda, atheism has no “preachers” nor “congregations.”
Atheist groups have leaders and agendas, much in the way
as groups such as the United Way. To suggest
that atheist groups are religious in nature is not
only preposterous, but shows a lack of intellectual savvy that
is common found in very young children. The lack of
“faithful believers”
and the other inherent characteristics of religion do not allow for
anything parallel between the two other than the assembly of human
beings in one place. The religious leader has a goal of
uniting his congregation under one dogmatic banner where there is
no room for congregational interaction, skepticism or free
thought. The atheist organization may or may not have the
same speaker at their events, usually not, and the membership is
encouraged to interact, discuss and be skeptical, and free thought
and expression of opinion is accepted as the norm.
The fact that
atheism has a literal definition and completely separate,
individualized philosophical extension that is not connected to a
common belief also separates it from
religion. The Encyclopedia
of Philosophy, in an article on Religion, includes
characteristics that in no way reflect someone who lacks
the belief in supernatural beings, nor anything that unites
atheists on a dogmatic level. Atheism does not include any
distinctions between sacred and profane objects. There are no
ritual acts or a moral code believed to be sanctioned
by god(s), or any characteristically religious feelings such
as awe, a sense of mystery, guilt or adoration. Atheism
includes nothing even remotely similar to prayer or other
forms of communication with the supernatural.
Religion is a
system of belief and atheism cannot be classified as a system of
belief because there is no belief and there is no system. No
rituals, practices, rules, doctrines or dogma.
Atheism does not concern itself with gods and it is
definitely not a “faith” that
includes unquestioning belief requiring
no proof. Atheists live according to reason
and do not apply a reference to a higher power. Atheism
is a scientific approach to theistic belief systems. It is not a
theory, requires no faith and has no hidden agenda. While an
indivudal atheist may seek to contradict theism by using rational
thinking and scientific theory to debunk the dubious and irrational
assertions of religion, atheism merely awaits evidence to confirm
the existence of god.
Defining atheism
as a religion is embellishment and bad philosophy. Atheism has no
dogma, no rites, no holy books, no places of worship and no clergy
of any description. It offers no moral guidance, no political
opinions and no world view.
Atheism is a
religion like “off” is a channel on your television or bald being a
hair color.
—————-
Al Stefanelli –
Georgia State Director, American Atheists, Inc.